Bullseye!
Just a few days ago, while driving home from the grocery store, out of nowhere, a rock came flying out the back of a work truck that was in front of me, and the impact left a small knick ‘smack dab in the middle’ of my car’s windshield! Even though I was flustered, I kept on driving but decided to lag farther behind this truck until there was a break in the road. Upon both of our vehicles turning, I read the words’ Bullseye,’ which was inscribed on the side of this truck, but I didn’t think too much of it at the time and proceeded to drive on home.
The next day, though, I decided to quickly go up to the glass repair shop and have the ‘dead center starburst knick’ filled and repaired. While waiting, I decided to walk over to the adjacent shopping area to bide some time by doing some shopping and looking around. After having some lunch, I went back up to the shop to pay for the repair and ‘whaddayaknow’… the service description on the receipt said, “Windshield Repair (Bull’s Eye Center-Middle), and I thought, hmm… there’s that word ‘Bullseye’ again… wonder what this could mean?
Well, after some of the events surrounding this same time frame, I now think I have a good idea… so here goes.
Spiritually speaking, do you ever feel like you have a ‘Bullseye’ target smack dab in the middle of your back? Well, lemme tell ya, the year I was born is when abortion became legalized in the United States. It was made known to me over the years that the idea of aborting me while inside the womb was brought up several times, but by the grace of God, it didn’t happen. I really believe that before I was even born, the enemy had an agenda to ‘take me out,’ but I digress.
Luke 12:51 “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:”
Have you ever had venomous lies, accusations, and attacks spewed nonstop toward you, your personhood and character? A smear campaign that went on for years on end, so much so that it was to the point that it was evidently coming from no other than Satan himself? How about such intense hatred to the extent that these conduits of Satan will not be happy until you’re completely decimated? Have you experienced such a lack of grace and unforgiveness to the level that it felt like you were spiritually pummeled and gut-punched over and over for days at a time? If you know this kind of fierce opposition and persecution, take comfort in the fact that you are definitely not alone!
What about no matter how much you tell them that you pray for them and for the salvation of their souls and everyone they’re involved with (which is for their highest good and is the definition of unconditional love, btw)… they still hate your guts? How about the fact that it seems like no matter what you say, think, or do, it’s all ridiculed, rejected, and made fun of? That it’s like no matter what… ‘you can’t win for losing.’
Guess what? Their rejection does not define us.
The blessing in all of this is that as Followers of Christ, we know that we do not need our haters for support, love, and validation or the lack thereof! ‘We have meat they know not of,’ for we get our worth from our Savior who makes us loved, validated, and worthy. From Him, we get a ‘peace that surpasses all understanding.’ With Jesus, we know that we will never stand alone. With Him who goes before us and who stands behind us, we know that we are on the winning side no matter how things may seem in this life. Jesus is all that matters to the true believer.
Perhaps the heart of the matter is that they can’t face themselves. They can’t look in the mirror and own up to their part in the problem. They can’t seem to muster up the maturity or humility to even answer poignant questions, much less take accountability for their evil actions and admit that they hurt others just as much – if not more so – than they claim they have been hurt. For it takes strength, courage, maturity, and, most of all, humility to admit wrongdoing and take responsibility and accountability for what one does to others. But without Christ, and mainly without the fear (reverence) of the Lord, ‘there will be no wisdom’ nor the capacity or ability to do the work that needs to be done to help everybody, including themselves, to heal.
“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” –Winston Churchill
As they say, ‘the struggle is real,’ but we know as Christ followers that the crosshairs we find ourselves in during the midst of this fiery battle are not really between us and them but are truly between our enemy and God Himself! For the Lord says, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” Ultimately, unless they surrender to God and repent of their unbelief and turn to Jesus Christ, their end will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in a place of outer darkness and torment, and it will be then that they will realize all of this aligning with Satan and evil behavior was not worth it!
Jesus said if they hate me, they will hate you; if they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they won’t listen to My Words, they will not listen to yours either; but take heart for I have already overcome the world! Past tense, already overcome… this is beyond encouraging! For no matter how much venom, lies, accusations, and hatred they may spearhead and spew our way from the devil himself, just know that all of this nonsense will be over soon enough, and Jesus will have the last say, and all enemies will be put under His feet!
“I’m Your Huckleberry”
An analogy I’d like to use concerning this kind of battle reminds me of a scene from the timeless classic and favorite Western called “Tombstone.” Imagine for a moment with me that these 3 characters spiritually represent us (Wyatt Earp), Jesus (Doc Holliday), and Satan (Johnny Ringo). Through ‘spiritual lenses, ‘ we can hopefully perceive these roles in this scene as a type of example. So, here goes:
Doc Holliday vs Johnny Ringo Scene:
Johnny Ringo: *Smugly* “Well… I didn’t think you had it in you.”
Doc Holliday: “I’m your Huckleberry.”
Johnny Ringo: *Mortified and speechless*
Doc Holliday: “Why Johnny Ringo, you look like somebody just walked over your grave.”
Johnny Ringo: “Fight’s not with you, Holliday.”
Doc Holliday: “I beg to differ, Sir; we started a game we never got to finish. Play for blood, remember?”
Johnny Ringo: “I was just foolin’ about.”
Doc Holliday: “I wasn’t. And this time, it’s legal.”
Johnny Ringo: “Alright, Longer, let’s do it.”
Doc Holliday: “Say when.” Then, Bingo! Johnny Ringo is hit!
Doc Holliday: “Come on, come on, oh Johnny, come on! You’re no daisy; you’re no daisy at all! Poor soul, he was just too high-strung.”
*Once Ringo is laid out on the ground, Doc Holliday lays Wyatt Earp’s badge on Ringo’s corpse, thereby giving his friend Wyatt the credit.*
Analogy: Like Wyatt Earp, we all know that on our own, we could never defeat Satan. Just as in the scene where Doc Holliday took it upon himself to fight on his friend Wyatt Earp’s behalf because he knew that he is the one who can defeat Johnny Ringo, but still, in the end, he gave Wyatt the credit.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ took it upon Himself to defeat our enemy Satan because only He can, and not only that, he also defeated death, hell, and the grave as well! Also, like in the movie, somehow, we end up getting the credit (His imputed righteousness on our behalf) before God in Heaven! Oh, what a Savior and Friend like no other we have in Jesus!
Here’s some encouraging news, Brothers and Sisters… there may be a type of spiritual ‘Bullseye’ target smack dab in the middle of our backs that the evil one likes to relentlessly aim at through his conduits. But here’s also a ‘sucker punch’ for them too… because whether they realize it or not… the One and Only Undefeated Champion of all time, the Lord God Almighty, the Sovereign Creator of all the Universe, Jesus Christ the Righteous, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the One who has the keys to Hell itself, is the very same ‘Powerful One’ whose got our backs!
Who’s on the winning side now? (((Mic Drop)))
‘Oh, But God’ *must hear* Song – Davy Flowers:
So, the question for the conduits of Satan is this: “Is it going to be worth it?” Is it going to be worth it to harbor bitter unforgiveness and hatred in your heart all of your life? (For it has been said if you forgive not men their trespasses against you, then neither will your Father in Heaven forgive you your trespasses.) Is it really going to be worth it to wholesale reject Jesus Christ and end up in a fiery Hell when you die? Is it really going to be worth it? Is all of this alignment with evil really going to be worth it? Is it?
Let’s Get One Thing Straight: Just for the record, telling a loved one the truth according to God’s Word and wanting the salvation of their souls is the definition of loving them unconditionally! It is for their highest good; even while they are treating you badly, you still pray for their souls! In contrast, to go against God’s Word to support and acquiesce a loved one in their ‘willful sin’ is the opposite of the definition of unconditionally loving them! (Quote – I’d rather offend you into Heaven than flatter/tolerate you into Hell.) #wakeup #getitstraight #unconditionallylovingyou #insteadofgreasingtheirslideintohell
Let Jesus heal you. Let Jesus take your anger, hatred, failures, and burdens. Let Jesus forgive you. Let Jesus cleanse you from the inside out. Let Jesus make you a new creature. Let Jesus take your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Let Jesus cast the devil out of your life! Let Jesus do a work in you like He did on the (Saul to Paul conversion) road to Damascus. Let Jesus cause the scales to fall from your eyes! Let Jesus save you.
For God’s Word reveals that, in the end, it will be worth it! Believe in His Word, which is life-giving, lifesaving, peace-giving, and powerful in Jesus’ Name, and ultimately offers a satisfaction like no other! You will find that it will be worth it when you end up in Heaven for all of eternity instead of in Hell for all of eternity!
Side Note: Hell was not made for us; it was created for the devil and his fallen angels. We do not have to go there. Let us open our spiritual eyes and see how the enemy is operating. Turn away from the lies of Satan and turn to the truth of Jesus! God’s Word reveals that it will be worth it in the end!
Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Shout out to my brother in Christ’s website:
‘Fully Vexed T-shirt’
#Truthdealer John 14:6 Black / Tactical Olive Green Christian T-Shirt (kjvprepper.com)
Until next time… Maranatha!
Sincerely & In Christ,
Candy Austin
(I have no Accolades….
I am just a Nobody,
Trying to tell Everybody,
All about Somebody,
Who can save Anybody!)
My Mission is to be ‘Salt and Light’ to a Lost and Dying world.
To be an Ambassador for Jesus Christ.
All for Him and His Glory!